Daimler has announced plans to test a new inductive charging system which could free EV owners from the mundane task of plugging their car in.

Daimler has announced plans to test a new inductive charging system which could free EV owners from the mundane task of plugging their car in.

Called the "Effizienzhaus-Plus mit Elektromobilität" project, the test will begin in March at an energy-efficient home where a family of four will reside for a 15 month period. During their time there, the family will have access to a Mercedes A-Class E-CELL with a special charging coil. When the vehicle is parked on top of an inductive charging pad, the batteries will be replenished by an electromagnetic field. To ease the task of getting the car perfectly positioned over the pad, the COMAND system has a special targeting display which guides the driver.

According to Herbert Kohler, head of e-drive & future mobility at Daimler AG, "We have already demonstrated the essential feasibility of the technology. The experience in day-to-day use will now provide important pointers for the further course of development. A number of technical and financial issues also need to be resolved before we can really assess the marketability of this technology."